Collectible documentary sports cards enjoy considerable popularity, and are collected by both adults and children. These cards are constructed of relatively stiff paper, plastic, or combinations thereof, and are available in a standardized size of 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches. Typically, a glossy or semi-glossy picture of an athlete is printed on one side of the card in either a landscape or portrait orientation, and documentary information and statistics about the athlete is printed on the other side.
As these cards are rather small, the pictures and documentary information thereon may sometimes be difficult to visualize and read. Additionally, the visual impact of a picture, particularly a picture depicting an athlete in action, is reduced due to the diminutive size of the card. Also, as some of these cards are quite rare, and thus valuable to collectors, determination of condition of these rare cards is important, and generally requires close scrutiny with a magnifying glass.
While Applicant is unaware of any particular device for viewing sports cards, devices of prior art which are believed to be most pertinent to the instant invention include patent references U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,954 to Forrest, filed Aug. 20, 1991, 4,236,192 to Duggan, filed Nov. 25, 1980, and 2,000,537 to Ransom, filed Aug. 15, 1932.
With respect to the reference of Forrest, an identification card inspection device is disclosed for examining identification cards, such as a driving license. This device consists of an enclosure, with a pair of transparent glass plates positioned at one end of the enclosure. These glass plates are oriented in spaced relation so as to form slot for receiving a single identification card therebetween. A transparent window, which may include a magnifying lens, is positioned in an opposite end of the enclosure, the window being angularly positioned with respect to a plane of the slot between the plates so as to reduce glare from the transparent plates and identification card. Illumination lights are mounted in the enclosure in front of and to each side of the transparent plates for directly illuminating the identification card. A lip is positioned between each of the lights and the window for blocking direct light from the bulb from impinging upon eyes of the viewer.
Problems inherent with the device of Forrest are that the illuminating lights, being in the enclosure in front of the identification card and plates, create glare on the transparent plates and the identification card. In an effort to reduce this glare, the plates that hold the card and the viewing window are angularly displaced with respect to each other. Where the viewing window includes a magnification lens, this angular displacement causes optical distortion of the viewed image. Additionally, there is no teaching or suggestion that the slot for receiving the identification card is sized so that more than one card may be placed in the device. Further, since the length and breadth of the slot is sized to receive identification cards of various sizes, cards not closely sized to the slot are likely to shift therein, which may necessitate re-positioning the card within the slot. Further yet, there is no teaching in Forrest of powering the lights thereof from a self-contained source of electrical power.
The reference of Duggan teaches a cabinet assembly for receiving a specimen for examination. The cabinet portion is constructed having a hood, with a lower rectilinear skirt, and an upper portion constructed in the shape of a truncated pyramid. A camera mount is provided in the truncated region of the upper portion for mounting a camera to the cabinet in order to record an image of the specimen. Illumination bulbs for providing light of a variety of wavelengths are mounted to interior sloping sides of the upper pyramidal region of the hood, directing light downward to illuminate the specimen from above. Additionally, a backlight source of illumination may be mounted to the bottom of the cabinet for illuminating the specimen from below.
The device of Duggan is a rather large device adapted for photographic inspection of a variety of objects, with no teaching of any means to hold an object to be examined in any particular orientation. Also, and as with the device of Forrest, light is directed onto the object to be examined from a point above the object, causing glare. Further, there is no teaching in Duggan of using a self-contained electrical source to power the illumination lights.
Ransom teaches a cabinet for receiving a sheet of printed material on a lower surface thereof for examination to determine uniformity of the print. A plurality of illumination bulbs are mounted at locations above the print, which bulbs being shielded from eyes of the user by shelves mounted to the interior of the cabinet.
As with the cabinet of Duggan, the cabinet of Ransom is a large cabinet adapted to receive a sheet of paper the size of newsprint. Additionally, the illumination bulbs are mounted above the printed material to be examined, again causing glare from the sheet of paper. Further, there is no teaching of powering the lights from a self-contained electrical source.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a hand-held viewing apparatus to enhance the enjoyment of viewing cards such as sports cards, the apparatus also allowing close scrutiny of the cards. To this end, the viewing apparatus is adapted to receive a plurality of the cards both in landscape and portrait orientations, with the upper card being illuminated and accurately magnified in order to facilitate viewing thereof.